Always
by AikoDarkSoul
Summary: Vanir is stuck at Ellesmera with his broken arm, thinking about Eragon and passed mistakes. Will he ever find peace? Slash


Well... All I have to say is, SHOOT ME! I like the pair, that's all there is too it! Anyway, yes, my new story. Comment if you wish. I just thought I'd have some fun with this. I've been obsessing over the pair for about 2 weeks now, and I can't believe no one likes it! I mean, Murtagh IS Eragon's brother! Well, this is my odd mind's work and I!

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**Always**

He'd left; he'd gone without saying good-bye, with out a word. Why had he not said good-bye? Was it truly that hard to do? Could it have possibly been because he'd been to mean to the boy? Yes, that had to be it; he'd been too cruel to the young rider.

The dark haired elf nodded to this, sliding her hand through his short midnight black locks, his light blue eyes looking out into the distance towards Surda and the heart of his ponderings. It'd been little over nine days since his battle partner had left. Nine days of endless torment and suffering.

Vanir stood from the bolder on which he'd been sitting at for the past hour on the edge of the sparring field. He favored his left arm as he pushed himself up. As he went to step down, his foot slipped, causing the young elf to instinctively reach out with his right arm to catch himself, only to have it buckle beneath his weight as he landed with a loud thud.

He gasped in pain, his broken arm laced with intolerable pain. He lay there for a long moment, knowing no one would come to his aid, for he'd made sure no one was at the field for the morning. Slowly, the throbbing in his arm subsided, and he stood himself up once more, looking back towards Surda as he clutched his wounded limb.

Vanir slowly let his mind slip back to his rider. Wait, when did Eragon become his rider? The young eleven boy shook his head, closing his eyes. No, he had no right in calling Eragon his own; He'd done far to many things to the boy to call him such.

: Flash Back :

_"Coward, I say. Your blood is as thin as the rest of your race. I think that Saphira was confused by Galbatorix's wiles and made the wrong choice of Rider." He'd spat at the young Rider, his words dripping with malice as he watched the dark haired boy. He'd been expecting far better when he'd been told about the Shadeslayer._

_Vanir's heart was full of hate, for he'd tried to awaken Saphira each time she'd been in the city, and the dragon had chosen a Human. Was he not good enough for the fair beast?_

_Completely taken off guard, the young sandy haired Rider swung his sword, nearly causing the elves hear to skip a beat as he barely caught the blow in time. He was put in a slight point of shock with his slight brush with death._

_Vanir found himself looking into the Riders dark brown eyes to see the spirit of a true warrior. The boy would not stop amazing him as Zar'roc clipped his hip, drawing blood. He stumbbled a bit, amazed with the human for the first time, but as he looked down, he watched as the younger fighter went into a fit of convolutions, those dark brown eyes glazed with pain and suffering._

_Any and all amazement was washed away as he sneered at the mortal's weakness. He felt cheated as the crippled boy lay there for over 5 minutes._

_He slowly watched as Eragon got up, wiping the crimson blood that flowed from his mouth and presented it to him, "Thin enough?" The younger spat, his eyes showing the damage the wound was doing to him in the inside._

_No, Vanir would not be dishonored this way, he was already mad at himself for fighting a crippled, defenseless human who had no place owning the magnificent Dragon Saphira. He sheathed his sword and turned to walk away._

_"Where are you going?" The human Eragon yelled from behind the eleven boy, as he headed off towards his home. "We have unfinished business, you and I."_

_Vanir shook his head, "You are in no fit condition to spar." The human knew no end when it came to angering him. He was already mad at himself for fighting the cripple, and now he wished to fight some more._

_"Try me." The wounded Rider persisted, standing to his full height as Vanir turned back around, unsheathing his sword and getting into his fighting position._

_As there battles came to a halt and the hour ended, Vanir watched as the great blue dragon rested her paw on his chest as a single word floated across his mind_ 'Dead'.

_Vanir suddenly went pale, as he stepped back, being insulted by the very dragon he'd praised. He slowly watched as Eragon climbed upon the beast's back, leaving Vanir to his own thoughts, feeling slightly frightened._

: End Flash Back :

Vanir let out a string of curses as he thought back to that day. He'd been too harsh on the boy; he mentally began to berate his stupidity. Even he should have known that the Rider wasn't on his top form. He'd been blind; for Eragon was the most skilled human he'd ever seen.

Taking a deep breath to calm his shaking form from both pain from his wound and the pain of his misdeeds. Oh, how he wished he'd seen Eragon before he'd departed, there was so much he needed to apologize for.

: Flash Back :

_"It sickens me that such gifts are bestowed upon one so unworthy. You do not even understand magic or how it works." Vanir said, shaking his head as he advanced upon the beaten Eragon after throwing him down with a simple spell._

_"What, have I ever done to wrong you? Why do you despise me so? Would you prefer it if no Rider existed to oppose Galbatorix?" Eragon asked, his voice displaying irritation and desperation of being accepted._

_Vanir shook his head, he would not let this no good human best him with pleading words and excuses. "My opinions are of little consequence."_

_"I agree, but I would hear them." Eragon's voice took a demanding tone to it as he spoke._

_"Listening, as Nuala wrote in Convocations, is the path to wisdom only when the result of a conscious decision and not a void of perception." Vanir said in a calm and collected voice as he watched the Rider sneer._

_"Straighten your tongue, Vanir, and give me an honest answer!" Eragon growled, looking extremely enraged by the fact the eleven boy was teasing him._

_Vanir could not help but smile coldly, "As you command, O Rider." He mocked, walking up to the human, close enough that their faces almost touched. He spoke in a soft voice so only the two of them could hear. "For eighty years after the fall of the Riders, we held no hope of victory. We survived by hiding ourselves through deceit and magic, which is but temporary measure, for eventually Galbatorix will be strong enough to march upon us and sweep aside our defenses. Then long after we resigned ourselves to our fate, Brom and Jeod rescued Saphira's egg, and once again a chance existed to defeat the foul usurper. Imagine our joy and celebration. We knew that in order to withstand Galbatorix, the new Rider had to be more powerful then even Vrael. Yet how was our patience rewarded? With another human like Galbatorix. Worse… A cripple. You doomed use all, Eragon, the instant you touched Saphira's egg. Do not expect us to welcome your presence."_

_With that said, he turned his back from the sandy haired boy and walked off, his heart racing from anger or something else, he wasn't too sure._

: End Flash Back :

Vanir could feel his heart race even now, but now, he knew why. He'd become attached to the Rider in some twisted way. Fate had found some way to make their rivalry into something he'd come to enjoy.

No human could fight the way Eragon had, as well as go through all the pain the boy was going through because of the scar Durza had placed upon his back.

Vanir walked to the middle of the field, his eyes focusing once more towards Surda. It was becoming an obsession to him, to look that way. How he longed that his arm was well so he could join the fight, to show Eragon how sorry he was.

His black bangs swayed in his eyes ever so slightly as the wind picked up. The slight throbbing in his arm reminded him of the last fight they'd been through.

: Flash Back :

_As Eragon walked out to the field, Vanir felt his breath hitch at the sight of the changed boy. No longer did he look like a half-ling, but pure elf with a slightly broader face. His eyes had changed, his cheekbones, his build, his speed, and his magic. All of it had changed from the days of Agaeti Blodhren, when the spectral dragon had touched the Rider. Never in Vanir's life would he forget Eragon as he looked then, with all his pride and stature. He became a true Rider in the eyes of the elf, but he still had to fight him._

_Vanir walked up to Eragon and the Dwarf, "Are you ready Shadeslayer?" He yelled, pulling out his sword as he watched the two._

_"I'm ready." Even the boy's voice had changed, causing the elf to stiffen slightly._

_Vanir became overly disappointed as he watched the boy grab his sword and pulled it out with so much force that the blade flew out of his hands and stick itself deep into a tree. The eleven boy sighed, shaking his head, "Can you not even hold on to your blade, Rider?" He demanded as he walked over to Zar'roc._

_"I apologize, Vanir-Vodlhr," Eragon said softly, seeming to be amazed by the fact his sword had flown that far. "I misjudged my strength."_

_Vanir stood still for a moment, Eragon had used vodlhr, and not exactly soothing that was taken lightly. "See that it does not happen again." He called back, gripping the sword and pulling. The sword didn't move, causing Vanir to look at the blade questioningly. He tugged as hard as he could and pulled out the blade, looking it over before handing it back to Eragon._

_"Take your place!"_

_Not waiting for Eragon to make the first move, he lunged at the boy, watching as he easily knocked his attack away with eleven speeds. As Vanir landed he looked back at the Rider. His eyes went wide with astonishment, as he looked the boy over. Since when did the human move as fast as an elf?_

_As the fight went on, Vanir was surprised by the Riders abilities, but what got him the most was when the boy jumped 10 feet over his head, doing a flip and landing directly behind him. What puzzled the elf even more was when the boy burst out laughing at the fact he'd caught the elf off guard._

_The battle lasted longer then the hour set, as both Vanir and Eragon fought for the better fighter, trying to show the other up. Their audience seemed to be on edge as the battle started to get to its final stages. Vanir had never had a fight that had lasted this long, and never had he imagined the one to give him the challenge would be a human Rider._

_As the battle took a turn for Vanir, Eragon twisted his sword around the elves blade, removing his guard and hitting him full force on his right arm with a loud crack. The eleven boy dropped his sword, looking at his arm in disbelief._

_"How swift is your sword." He quoted from The Lay of Umhodan as he watched Eragon smile slightly._

_"By the gods!" Yelled the dwarf Orik as he ran to Eragon. "That was the best swordsmanship I've ever seen, and I was there when you fought Arya in Farthen Dur." The dwarf cried, overly excited as he came up to the two._

_Vanir twisted his left arm into a sign of fealty, placing it upon his sternum and bowed his head. "I beg your pardon for my earlier behavior, Eragon-Elda. I thought you had consigned my race to the void, and out of my fear I acted most shamefully. However, it seems that your race no longer endangers our cause." His voice softened slightly as he swallowed whatever was left of his pride and added: "You are now worthy of the title Rider."_

_Eragon bowed as well, his dark blond hair covering his eyes slightly as he smiled, "You honor me. I am sorry that I injured you so badly. Will you allow me to heal your arm?"_

_"No, I shall let nature tent to it at her own pace, as a memento that I once crossed blades with Eragon Shadeslayer. You needn't fear that it will disrupt our sparring tomorrow; I am equally good with my left hand." He reassured, clutching his arm lightly._

_Both bowed once more, and then Vanir turned, walking off towards his home._

: End Flash Back :

And now it felt as if something had been taken from him. Only now did he realize how much his sparring partner meant to him. Only now did he realize how much of a fool he'd been to the great boy. To late for him to do anything but wait for his limb to heal, so that he may fight by the Riders side.

Vanir looked down at his broken arm that was healing, knowing full well he'd have to wait about 2 weeks with even his healing abilities before he'd fight. He was useless right then and there, but he refused to heal himself. He'd wear the mark of the Rider as a way to remind him of what he'd done. And in some way, repent by the torture it was giving him.

If he could wait just a little longer, then he could go to Eragon and right his wrongs, fight by the Rider's side, and possibly show himself worthy of the Riders attention and praise. Yes, that's what he'd do, he'd show Eragon that he was loyal to him, possibly give his life for the Rider. No, there was not possibly, he would give his life for the Shur'tugal.

"Vanir-Vodlhr!" Vanir turned his head, looking over one of his few companions as they sprinted to his side. Quickly placing his fingers to his lips, the two boys went through the quick introduction before the light haired elf muttered. "You have been called to the main hall, our guests wish to see you."

How strange, he had not been informed of their 'guests', but no matter. "Do you know the names of those whom wish my presence?" He asked, flexing his arm slightly as he turned to leave.

"Nay, they just sent me to fetch you. The guests wished to be nameless until you arrived." The boy answered, shaking his head as his long blond hair swung in its loose braid.

"Thank you Toren-Vodlhr." And with that, Vanir bowed slightly, sprinting off towards the hall with his inhuman speed. Not caring to look back towards Surda as he made his way. He'd think about Eragon later, he had more pressing matters at this point.

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End! Well… Should I continue? Or end it here! ANSWER! Please? I'm content with leaving it here… But if I don't… I wouldn't mind…

_Love,  
_**Aiko**


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